WWW Virtual Library - Sri Lanka
Haunting memories of the JVP that linger
(Source: Sunday Leader; By Frederica Jansz)
Joint account
This bank account opened
in the mid 1990s was established as a joint current account with Wimal
Weerawansa. Before he began working for Mangala Samaraweera, Ferdinandez was an
active and important member of the JVP. In fact, Ferdinandez was one of the
JVP's most trusted lieutenants together with party diehards like Wimal
Weerawansa alias N. Gamlath.
Weerawansa proved his
immense capacity to utter the most diabolical lies when he totally denied
sharing this account with Ferdinandez despite available documentary evidence and
the confirmation from senior bank officials at the People's Bank, Nugegoda.
Needless to say that
Somawansa Amarasinghe, the present leader of the JVP, has the temerity to stand
before the public and espouse the causes of bribery and corruption is hardly any
cause for comment as Amarasinghe, a blackguard even within the ranks of the JVP,
can no longer be credited with any single statement, given his proven track
record of being nothing but a common thief. As we have already pointed out with
documentary evidence, Amarasinghe not only masterminded massive gold thefts for
the JVP but stole for his own personal booty from the JVP loot as well.
Amarasinghe's gold heists
and his having led an 'assassination clique' which eliminated thousands of
government supporters and any who refused to bow to the fear psychosis initiated
by the JVP can hardly be forgotten a mere decade later by a nation that wept
bitter tears and shook with fear at the very mention of the words 'Janatha
Vimukthi Peramuna.'
Indeed, it would be the
understatement of the decade if it is not said that the JVP a decade ago
succeeded in placing a stop gap on Sri Lanka's development and social progress
by at least 10 years. It is this same party that is now espousing the causes of
development, social and cultural growth for Sri Lankans after having
systematically bled the nation of any futuristic progress.
It would indeed be
refreshing if Weerawansa finds it prudent to explain why the JVP chose to
mercilessly murder 50 school principals between 1988 and 1989, as well as a
number of tea planters and important government servants, members of the clergy
as well as a host of politicians (see box for names of murdered school
principals and leading politicians).
Cold-blooded killings
It is perhaps prudent to
remember the cold-blooded killing of Superintendent, Silverdale Estate in
Akuressa, F.W. Jayawardena on February 26, 1988. His killing was followed with
the murder of Superintendent, Pasgoda Tea Factory in Urubokka, Malen Alles on
July 2, 1988. Exactly seven days later on July 9, 1988, Superintendent,
Galkaduwehehna Estate Mirissa at Weligama, Premaratne Bandara was also shot dead
by a JVP assassin.
This killing was followed
by the assassination of Superintendent, Sirisumana Estate at Akmeemana, D.R.
Senanayake on August 31, 1988 and on January 25, 1989, Superintendent, Elpitiya
Estate, G. N. de Almeida was shot dead. Superintendent, Aislaby Estate at
Bandarawela, Nimal Hettiarachchi was shot dead on February 4, 1989 and on
February 18, that year Superintendent, Vilehena Estate at Ahangama, Ranjith
Kumara Dayananda was killed. Superintendent, Luke Estate at Wellava, Lalith
Gunaratne was killed on February 29, 1989 and Superintendent, Kurukkuwatana
Estate at Madampe, J. Michael was the next victim of the JVP's hit squad on
March 3, 1989.
Six days later on March 9,
1989, the JVP killed Superintendent, Hanford Estate at Deniyaya, Senaka
Gunawardena and continued its killing spree by murdering Nadarajah, the retired
chief clerk of Mado-Elle Estate at Panwila on March 19, 1989.
Superintendent, Talgaswala
Estate, A. Dissanayake was killed by the JVP at Nagoda on September 12, 1989 and
Superintendent, Nugegodawatte Estate, K.P. Premadasa was shot dead at Nittambuwa
on September 15, 1989. Superintendent, Thundola Estate, Hapugoda was killed at
Meegahatenna on June 7, 1989.
Duty before self
These men were all killed
because they placed duty before life and refused to cower in the face of
cowardly dictates by the JVP whose terror tactics were well shielded by the
point of a gun.
Many more victims were to
fall to the JVP assassins' bullets who during that period mercilessly gunned
down any man or woman who had the courage to carry on with their public duties
despite a deadly chit system by the JVP to keep away from work.
It is for this same reason
that Chief Engineer attached to the Colombo Port Authority, D. C. Athukorale was
shot dead at Welikada on November 17, 1988. Working Director, Salt Corporation,
E. Liayana Pathirana was killed on June 22, 1989 at Opanayake and Chairperson,
State Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Gladys Jayawardena was shot dead at Slave
Island on September 12, 1989.
To now hear the JVP wax
eloquent about the police and servicemen serves to bring into sharp focus the
murder of hundreds of policemen and servicemen by the JVP who could not tolerate
their allegiance to the call of duty.
It is in the same manner
the JVP ruthlessly gunned down 102 SLFP supporters, 64 loyalists of the United
Socialist Alliance including its Leader, Vijaya Kumaratunga and 98 home-guards
during the period from 1987 to 1992.
Murder of Buddhist
monks
We have previously
detailed how the JVP which now preaches the dhamma, beginning in December 1988
upto December 1989, gunned down 30 Buddhist monks.
Wimal Weerawansa has
recently been placed on record as saying that the JVP was "shaped by Buddhist
culture and not Marxism." He even stated that his party was founded on a poya
day, attempting to prove its servility to the Sinhala-Buddhist calendar.
Weerawansa however conveniently forgets to mention the cold-blooded murders of
the 30 Buddhist monks by the JVP in the year 1989 only.
The JVP, he has further
said, is a "nativist" party, taking only certain things from Marxism and
adapting them to suit local Sri Lankan conditions.
Weerawansa also claims the
primary aim of the SLFP-JVP alliance is to start a "cultural journey." He said
the JVP intends to begin a pristine Sinhala-Buddhist culture which existed prior
to 1505, referring to when the Portuguese landed in Sri Lanka and forcibly
Christianised and Westernised the country.
Weerawansa having ruled by
the gun appears to have yet not put aside his weapon given his recent antics at
the offices of Commerce Minister Ravi Karunanayake. The question that begs
answer is if it is this "cultural journey" Weerawansa plans to embark Sri Lanka
on.
Remember how DIG Premadasa
Udugampola who finally turned his gun and men on the JVP was born? The JVP on
July 24, 1988 attacked his ancestral home at Poddala and burned alive his
mother, brother, sister-in-law and two small children to ashes.
Killing of
industrialists
The organisation also shot
dead leading industrialists of the calibre of the Shanmugam brothers who were
assassinated at Pettah on February 6, 1989, K. Gunaratnam at Maradana on August
9, 1989 and exactly nine days later, Director, Hebtulabhoy Company, Shabeer
Hussain at Kohuwela on August 18, 1989.
And the JVP's
'assassination clique' according to Srimathi Chitrangani Wijeweera, wife of
Rohana Wijeweera, did not stop there. They even killed foreigners who paid the
final price for refusing to close their industries on the orders of the JVP.
Mr. and Mrs. Banshall, two
Indian citizens working at the Pelwatta Sugar factory were shot dead by the JVP
on November 23, 1988 at Siyambalanduwa. The Banshalls were two Indian citizens
working at the sugar factory. The JVP then proceeded to murder on June 23, 1989
D. K. Sundaram, also an Indian businessman and P. Nadar Weeramuni, also Indian.
Both were shot dead on the same day at Chilaw.
This was followed with
another murder on the anniversary of the Banshalls killing. Exactly one year
later on November 23, 1989, Ann Herchoi, an engineer attached to a Korean
construction project was shot dead at Gokarella for continuing with her work
despite a chit by the JVP ordering her to stop carrying out her duties.
Hunt for servicemen
The JVP's inhuman hunt for
servicemen resulted in the gunning down of 209 service personnel and 342 police
personnel. Today, the JVP pledges strong allegiance to the security forces.
Their words however fall hollow in the wake of a bloody trail the JVP initiated
in 1989 to condemn to death security forces personnel and policemen.
Some of the more notable
police and service personnel killed by the subversive group included the
assassination of DIG Terrance Perera, who was director of the counter subversive
division. He was shot dead on December 12, 1987 at Talangama. DIG Bennet Perera,
one time director, CID was the JVP's next victim and was gunned down at Mount
Lavinia on May 1, 1989. On August 23, 1989, the Transport Minister's Security
Officer, ASP Shahabdeen, was killed by a JVP assassin and on September 12, 1989,
Captain B.M. Perera of the military police was shot dead at Moratuwa.
The JVP, since the start
of their campaign of terror in 1987, and even before that, had hailed the
security forces as the heroes who were preventing the separation of the country
by waging war against the Tamil terrorists. In 1989, the JVP began to condemn to
death not only these very heroes, but also members of their families.
The JVP for once however
knew that they had made a fatal mistake. No sooner had they issued death threats
to the families of the servicemen, posters appeared all over the country
announcing, "Ape ekata thope dolahak!" (Twelve of yours for one of ours!)
A vigilante group known as
the Deshapremi Sinhala Tharuna Peramuna (Patriotic Sinhala Youth Front) under
whose name the 12 to one posters appeared, also circulated a note to the
families of JVPers, which read as follows:
"Dear
father/mother/sister,
"We know that your
son/brother/husband is engaged in brutal murder under the pretence of
patriotism. Your son/brother/husband, the so-called patriot, has cruelly taken
the lives of mothers like you, of sisters, of innocent little children. In
addition he has started killing the family members of the heroic Sinhalese
soldiers who fought with the Tamil Tigers and sacrificed their lives, in order
to protect the motherland.
"It is not amongst us,
ourselves, the Sinhalese people, that your son/brother/husband has launched the
conflict in the name of patriotism? Is it then right that you, the
wife/mother/sister of this person who engages in human murder of children should
be free to live? Is it not justified to put you to death? From this moment, you
and all your family members must be ready to die. May you attain nirvana!
"Patriotic Sinhala Youth
Front."
That the JVP is far from
changing its terror image was clearly displayed recently when Wimal Weerawansa
armed with a gun broke into the offices of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Minister, Ravi Karunanayake on March 11, 2004. He proceeded to vandalise the
property and then to brandish his gun at Attorney-at-Law, Gamini Dharmadasa
shouting, "I will kill both you and your minister."
Weerawansa has got off
scot-free. Despite his disgraceful behaviour, the police unfortunately have once
more proved it does not have the mettle to enforce the law, but is well and
truly a force that has long lost sight of the fact that it is duty bound as a
law enforcement authority to ensure the law is indeed implemented.
Ravi Karunanayake has now
written to Chairman, Police Commission, Ranjit Abeysuriya drawing his attention
to the partial conduct of DIG Jayantha Wickramaratne in the incident.
Misleading the police
In his letter Karunanayake
has outlined some of the more salient facts about this incident, reiterating how
Weerawansa misled the Welikada police by saying mud slinging posters were being
printed against him at a house at Rajagiriya and then led the cops to
Karunanayake's office.
The OIC for Welikada and
SSP Bandara who were witness to the damage caused to Karunanayake's office
reported the incident naming Weerawansa and JVP MP Vijitha Herath as well as
other JVP thugs.
Weerawansa's personal
security officer, Priyantha Gunasekera had pointed a pistol at Karunanayake's
security and telephonist present at the office and forcibly prevented them from
speaking to Karunanayake. Weerawansa himself carrying a pistol pointed it at
Gamini Dharmadasa and threatened him with death while other JVP thugs held a
hand bomb at the ready.
A three-wheeler bearing
number 205/3894 taken into police custody carried 11 live cartridges, a
prescription detailing medical treatment taken for Wimal Weerawansa's daughter,
mud slinging posters on the death of Venerable Gangodawila Soma Thera, wall
posters of Colombo District JVP candidates and a cassette of liberal songs.
Karunanayake charges that
DIG Wickramaratne in this case has acted maliciously and fraudulently by aiding
and abetting JVPers Wimal Weerawansa and Vijitha Herath to act unlawfully.
Jayantha Wickramaratne is
a cousin of the President's former Security Chief, Nihal Karunaratne and has
been repeatedly named as being responsible for election related violence in the
past.
Take action against Somawansa -
Senaratne
By Marianne David
Following the expose by
The Sunday Leader on Somawansa Amarasinghe's involvement with having
master-minded gold robberies for the JVP between 1987 to 1989, Lands Minister
Rajitha Senaratne last week charged Amarasinghe with armed robbery and theft.
Senaratne last week said
there are two charges against JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe; aiding and
abetting robbery and defrauding party funds. At a press conference held last
week, the Minister appealed to the authorities to take necessary legal action
against Amarasinghe.
"There are two charges
against Somawansa Amarasinghe. One is aiding and abetting robbery and two, he
cheated his own party, the JVP. This is the type of leader who is leading the
JVP that claims to be a civilised political organisation in the country,"
Senaratne said.
He added that according to
the 12-page statement of Matarage Don Ariyadasa, a JVP member arrested during
the insurgency, Somawansa Amarasinghe, apart from having planned numerous gold
heists, was also part of an 'assassination clique' and ordered all the killings
for the JVP.
Senaratne charged that
Amarasinghe is the leader of the gang that wanted to capture Mrs. Bandaranaike
alive or kill her as well, as is responsible for the murder of Vijaya
Kumaratunga, the husband of President Kumaratunga.
"This is the unholy
alliance formed by Mrs. Kumaratunga for the sake of power - joining hands with
her mother's attempted killers and her husband's killers," he said.
He said Amarasinghe in a
recent interview stated there are no charges against him and that the UNP is now
presenting the first one and asking the authorities to take action. "We
challenge Somawansa Amarasinghe to say whether he is responsible or not. If he
says no, we will bring more evidence to show that he is responsible," the
Minister said.
According to Ariyadasa's
statement, Saman Piyasiri Fernando alias Keerthi Wijayabahu of the JVP had asked
Ariyadasa to conceal some jewellery in his house and he had agreed to do so.
JVP members had then
brought 30 sacks of jewellery to his house, four bags of which were taken away
by Wijayabahu and Amarasinghe. Ariyadasa claims that Amarasinghe visited his
house on another occasion and took away some jewellery. Amarasinghe had returned
the jewellery a few days later but some items had been missing.
The Minister also drew
attention to a letter written by Srimathi Wijeweera in 1989 in which she claims
that Somawansa Amarasinghe "defrauded party funds" and that Nandana Marasinghe
who revealed everything about Amarasinghe was killed on Amarasinghe's orders.
"She says that Amarasinghe
defrauded party funds and also that he was a government informant. What do
Amarasinghe and Chandrika Kumaratunga have to say about Srimathi Wijeweera's
letter?" asked Senaratne.
Minister Senaratne further
said that not only has the JVP not confessed to the violence the organisation
generated in 1988 and 1989, the party has still not emerged from its murderous
ways and has a large number of weapons in its possession. "We believe these
weapons are being used for destruction and murder. They have not been handed in
to the police," he said.
He questioned why
Amarasinghe was not being punished when Matarage Don Ariyadasa was imprisoned,
adding, "I ask the police and the Defence Ministry under the President to act
according to the law."
* * *
Some
politicians killed by the JVP
UNP MP for
Tangalle, Jinadasa Weerasinghe shot dead at Angunakolapelessa on July 20, 1987
A bomb attack at
the parliamentary complex on August 18, 1987 caused the deaths of UNP MP for
Deniyaya, Keerthi Abeywickrema and of one Senadeera, an employee. The attack
also caused injuries to 18 other parliamentarians.
UNP MP for
Habaraduwa and District Minister, G.V.S. de Silva was killed at Galle on May 1,
1988.
Lionel
Jayatilake, a minister at the time, was shot dead at Kuliyapitiya on September
26, 1988
UNP MP for
Kandy, Anura Daniel was shot dead at Thalatuoya on June 25, 1989
Chairman, UNP,
Harsha Abeywardena was killed at Wellawatte on December 23, 1987
General
Secretary, UNP, Nandalal Fernando was killed at Wellawatte on May 20, 1988
UNP Organiser
for the Akmeemana electorate, Sarath Nanyakkara was shot dead at Habaraduwa on
January 27 1988
Member of the Colombo Municipal Council, Lakshman Silva was killed at Narahenpita on July 1, 1989